Apparatus for the reduction of iron-sand, iron-oxid, and other suitable substances.



No. 796,312." YPATENTED AUG.l. 1905 n. R. s.; GALBRAITH. v

APPARATUS FOR THE REDUCTION DP'IRONSANRIIRON OXID, AND OTHER SUITABLE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED 001: 27,1903" BSHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED AUG. 1,1905.

13 PMS. GALBRAITE. APPARATUS FOR THE REDUCTION 0F IRON SAND IRON OXID, AND OTHER SIHTABLE SUBSTANCE-S. APPLICATION FILED 002 27, was.

3'SHEBTSSHEET 2.

.No. 796,312; PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905. 1). ms. GALBRAITH. APPARATUS FOR THE REDUGTION OF IRON SAND, IRON 0X11), AND OTHER APPLIOATION'PILBD OUT. 27.1903.

SUITABLE 'SUBSTANO 3 $EEETS-SKBET 3.

. with superposed incandscents.

cnrrnn erases Parana cartels.

DAVID RANKEN SHIRREFF GALBRAITH, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIATEi i STEUART, ()F AUCKLAND, NEW

ZEALAN D.

APPARATUS FOR THE REDUCTION OF lRON-SAND, IRON OXlDQAND OTHER SUITABLE SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters "Patent.

Patented-Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed October 27,1903. satin Ilal78fl86.

This invention relates to an electrical furnace adapted for treating iron-sand, oxid of iron, refractory ores, or other substances for the purpose of producing iron, steel, or other metal or other substances.

v The apparatus, which is used for thetreatment of any substances for which it is applicable, consists mainly of a. furnace suitably constructed, as is hereinafter described, with resistances placed therein, on and around which the material being treated fails when fed into the furnace. Means are provided for introducing producer-gas through the base on which the furnace stands and into a receiving vessel placed beneath the furnace, so

that the gas may travel upward through the said furnace, and outlet-holes are also pro' vided for drawing off from the said vessel slag and product resulting from the treatment.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a furnace constructed in accordance Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a furnace having a vertically-extending fusing zone fitted Fig. 8 is a like view showing a less number of laterally separated and superposed incandescents,showing the arrangement of Fig. 2; and Fig. 9 is a vertical section of a modification, showing the superposing of two furnaces.

The furnace a maybe described as a L shaft,

'not necessarily restricted to this one form,

tric circuit or circuits of the requisite intensity of current, which intensity wlll vary ac cording to the size of the furnace, there being between such incandescents b a passage more or less tortuous for the iron-sand or other substance or substances undergoing treatment to pass through downward, and for the gases either liberated from the material being" treated or whichniay be supplied to the fur- I nace a to pass through upward, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The iucandescents 7) may be composed of any suitable material-of carbon, for

example-and they may be of any suitable shape and dimensions and any number re quired, and they may be located or fixed at any suitable distance apart and in groups or otherwise placed. The incan lescents b may or may not be protected from immediate con tact with the descending iron-sand or other substances by intercepters c, which also serve thepurpose of temporarily intercepting and deflecting the descent of iron-sand or other substances undergoingwtreatment and of directing the same in its descent throughout the group or groups or series of tiers of incaudescents b. v

The inca'ndescents b and intercepters c are placed in due position by meansof suitable perforations in the furnace-body (Z and rest therein, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and the intercepters a being provided with a rest or foot in at each end, which rests upon the incandescents b, and thus. support the intercepters c at the required distance from'the incandescents b. Asbestos orother suitable packing may, however, be used'in place of the feet A and also for securing all necessary insulation between the various incandescents 'bl One group of tiers or'several superposed groups of tiers of these incandescents L and either with or without intercepters 0 may be used,

such groups of tiers being separated any suitable distance apart within, say, one to two inches or thereabout. The sides of the fu rnace a interiorly are provided with guidemhutes m to deflect and direct the descending ironeand or other substances falling on and immediately adjacent thereto in the desired course.

The furnace-body d may be constructed of four slabs of suitable refractory material, such as bauxite, the joints thereof being luted. as required. When the natureot' the'iron-sand,

iron oxid, or other substance being treated so requires, a special furnace-lining of bauxitem such like may be adopted and used, which can be renewed as required, or the furnace-body may be interiorly constructed and lined in any suitable way to meet requirements. The intercepters care also com posed and made of any suitable refractory material, such as bauxite or iire-clay.

The incandescents 7) are brought into the necessary electric circuit or circuits through suitable perforations n in the furnace-casement (1 or by any other suitable means.

The furnace a may be made of any suitable dimensions. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 on the drawings herewith represent a small furnace for experimental purposes and are drawn on a scale (if about one inch to the foot. This furnace for commercial work may be increased to any capacity double or treble of that illustrated or to whatever capacity is required. The furnace-casement e is suitably luted upon the base j, which base f serves as a casement for the receiving vessel It, placed within the chamher 0, made therein. The receiving vessel It may be made of plumbago or other suitable material, and its contents may in due course be also further heated by resistance in any suitable manner known to technologists.

Asuita'hlc reducing-gas is passed by asuit able gasway 7 through the walls of the base or casementfand receiving vessel [1. Electro-- resistances v1 may be located in the gasway g for supcrhcating such reducing-gas before it comes into contact with the contents of the electric furnace 11., or it (the reducing-gas) may be passed already heated in through the gasway g direct from the gas-producer. Producer-gas is a suitable gas to use; but vaporized mineral oil maybe used in place thereof or in conjunction therewith.

Ta rholes' 7) and 1 are provided in the receiving vessel It and carried through the base or casement f, the upper one, 3), being for drawing oil from the vessel [1. the accumulated slag and the lower one, I], for drawing off the steel, iron, or other metal or substances therein deposited.

in operating the furnacea, producer-gas, say, is passed in by the gasway g, full control being lrcpt both of the supply and the pres sure thereof, and the receiving vessel it is heated, as before referred to. The elcctriccurrent is switched onto the incandcsccnts r) within the electric furnace :1. from dynamo orothcr suitable source of electricity, the iron-sand having been separated from silicannd other foreign objectionable substances and mixed with. powdered carbon, coke, or charcoal, for example, or other substances is fed into the upper end of the electric furnace (i in any dosircd quantity in a shower and preferably red hot, the food being carefully adjusted according to thecapacity of the fusing zone or zones 7 to the one just used.

within the furnace ri -that is to say, the group or groups of incandescents. The proportions of reducing agent----powdered charcoal, for example-can only be determined for any given case, also the proportion of flux. In the case of pure iron oxid in iron-sand or other form the equivalent of carbon necessary to reduce the oxid of iron will be added thereto. This is easily found by analysis of the gi vcn sample in a way well known to all chemists. It is not a matter of experiment nor of any private knowledge. in the case of oxid of iron in iron-sand or other form which has been previously prepared, as hereinafter explained, the proportion of carbon will be regulated in the same way, commencing with wholly-unreduced iron oxid 'at the one end of the scale and finishing with wholly-reduced iron oxid at the other, where no reducingcar'oon will be required in admixture with such wholly-reduced iron-sand. In each case sufficient additional carbon (charcoal) is sum.

plied to the charge to prod uce steel, mild or hard, as desired, and this additional carbon is also adjusted by the technologist for any given case. in the same manner the flux will be adjusted by analysis for any given case. The aim, however, is to separate, if possible, all foreign matters, so that no llux will be necessary. The operations may be watched through any suitable apertures or openings made for the purpose. The nnxtu re of iron-sand and carbon passes down through the group, groups, or series of tiers of incandcscents and falls as an iron product into the receiving vessel lb, from.

which it may be tapped oil if suliiciently fluid through the lower tap-hole r or, if not, the receiving vessel ['1 may be modified in form from that illustrated to suit the product and to admit of its easy removal. This product may, on the other hand, he further treated, if required, by being passed again through similar furnaces either separated or subposed Should an excess of carbon be used in the electric furnace (r.-----that is to say, more than is required to reduce the oxid of iron the steel or iron will [low more readily, and this excess of carbon can be removed from the steel or iron by means well known to metallurgists. Two or rnorcof these furnaces superposed may be used, as shown in Fig. 9, the discharge from the higher furnace being made the feed of the next in order. in that case the iron-sand or iron oxid will not require to be heated prior to its being fed into the higher or top furnace.

As regards the method hereinbcforc referred to, it is to be particularly noted that the aim thereof is to insure a continual movement of commi-ngling, mixing, and remixing of the furnace chargcthat is to sayi the iron-sand, iron oxid, carbon, and other substances forming the feed during the descent of the same through the furnace, as distinguished from the mere subsidenceiin mass of the furnace charge which occurs in other processes or methods. This ,comminghng, mixing, and remixing of the furnace charge namely, the iron-sand and carbon, for example-issecu red by the passingor runningofthe same over the intercepters c or the incandescents b, shouldthe incandescents I) alone be used, and ,the passing from one tier to the other and lower tier and from higher groups of tiers to lower groups and from'a higher electric furnace c to a lower electric furnace a should several groups of tiers or two or more electric furnaces a be used superposed as hereinbefore set forth.

Where desirable, the higher tiers or groups of incandesccnts b and or intercepters 0 may be arranged at right angles in relation to those below or in any other advantageous or der or position. used without intercepters 0, these incandecents 7) may be given the form. indicated in cross-section in Fig. 6 and maybe arranged so that the iron-sand or other substance being treated shall fall or flow from the higher inc-andescents b to the lower ones, as in the'manner hereinbefore set forth.

I n claiming the widest range as to the construction and arrangement of the electric furnace as a whole the following, among other possible alternatives, may be set forth--- namely, the shaft 1/, of the electric furnace may be made cylirulrical and the incandecents I: and or intrn'cepters c may takethe form of flat rings duly beveled to clear their surface of the falling iron-sand and other substances. lhese liat rings will be bisected across their circumference and duly insulated at the sections, so that thc required electric current may be established. be arranged in tiers within the cylindrical shaft, and the furnace charge will descend from the higher ones to the lower in the same manner as lun'einbefore set forth. The shaft may also be given a'form to suit incandescents. and or interceptor-s 1:, arranged as a series of steps, the iron-sai'ul and other substances traveling down from step to step, the surface of such steps being placed at any required angle for the pupose of facilitating the descent of the iron sand and or other substances thereover. Figs. 7 and 8 show how the incandesccnts and interccpters 0 may be grouped and placed within the furnace c. Fig. 7shows them in one vertical line only with the sides of the furnace ccloscd in around so to makedcllcctors or guide-chutes m, while Fig. 8 shows two in a row with one beneath, and so on alternately. 'lhesc illustrationsare given to show that the incandescents I) and intercepters 0 can be arranged in different Ways to suit requirements. They may also be arranged from the, topof the furnace to the bottom, if so desired,

Should incandescents I) bepoints marked m, before referred to.

so as to entirely fill the furnace, and if this plan is adopted the easement a will be fnrther chambered, as shown in Figs. 2 and The incandescents I) may be one or more in one plane and any number may be superposed at any convenient distance apart-say twelve placed in superposition two inches, or about, apart and inclosed in a suitable chamber, as shown. Iron-sand or iron oxid may be prepared before being. introduced intothe elec tric furnace a by heating it with a proportion ofcarbon i'n powder'or by heating it'in the presence of suitable reducing-gas, such as carbon monoxid, or in the presence of hydrocarhon-vapor, such as petroleum. Before the iron-candor iron oxid or other substances are subjected to this furnace treatment the foreign bodies therein are separated therefromby magnetic or other suitable means. When silicious or other objectionable matter is present in a small proportion only, a small proportion of any suitable flux-such as lime, for example--may be added and mixed with the substances before treatment. The electric furnace may be placed above a suitable coke or gas furnace, and the iron, steel, or other products of the former may be received in the latter. The products of the electric furnace may be further treated by any of the methods already known to mctallurgists. Among the other'substances which may be treated by my furnace and method I may name ores of manganese and tin. These are of course suitably pulverized before passing through the furnace, so toapproximate to the physical condition of iron-sand.

The cap '1' is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8 fitted onto the top of the furnace-body (l. A hole s is provided or made therein for passing the feed into the furnace or shaft It. This hole s can, if so required, be closed in any suitable Way. Carbon blocks?! are shown in Fig. 2, which are. placed in the casemente to enable the electric contact to be made at the being a section of the furnace as a whole, shows the four sides of the easement 1a, which are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 by side and front views. a

A ny form of clamps with adjustable springs can be used to bind and retain the various parts of the furnace as a Whole together.

The means of putting the iron-sand and other-substances in the form of a. shower-feed into the furnace-shaft a. may take the shape of a suitable vessel---say a plumbago crucible---with the necessary perforations in the bottom thereof, which wouldrest in the feedhole s, three rests between the crucible and walls of feed-hole .v being provided, so that spaces will be left betwicn the crucible and the wall of the feed-hole s for the free passage of f'tii'i'iacegascs outward.

Fig. 3,

opening, a chambered casement supporting said furnace and first-mentioned casement,said su pporting-casement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of tap openings, and. receiving vessel mounted in the chamber of the supportr ing-casement and provided with an inlet and a pair of discharge-openings registering, respectively, with the gas inlet and tap-openings of the supporting-casement.

2. An electrical furnace for the purpose set forth comprising a casement, a furnace-body arranged therein, resistances mounted within the furnace-bod,y, intercepters arranged in suitable relation to the resistances, carbon blocks mounted in the casement and projecting into the furnace-body, a cap mounted upon the furnace and provided with a feed-opening, a chambered casement supporting said. fur" nace-body and first-mentioned casement, said supporting-casement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of tapopcnings, a receiving vessel mounted in the chamber of the supportingcasement and provided with an, inlet and a pair of discharge-openings registering .respectively, with the gas-inletvand tap-openings of the supporting-casement, and resist ances mounted in said gas-inlet.

3. An electrical furnace for the purpose set forth comprising a casement, a furnace-body arranged therein, resistancesmounted within the furnace-body, intercepters arranged in suitable relation to the resistances, a charm,

bered casement supporting said furnace-body and the first-mentioned casement, said supportingcasement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of tap-openings, and a receiving vessel mounted in the chamber of the supporting-casement and provided with an inlet and a pair of discharge-openings registering, re? spectively, with the gas-inlet and tap-openings of the supporting-casement.

4. An electrical furnace for the purpose set forth comprising a casement, a furnace body arranged therein, resistances mounted within the furnace-body, intercepters arranged in suitable relation to the resistances, a chambered casement supporting said furnace-body and first-mentioned casement, said an pportingcasement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of iap-o'peni,ngs, a receiving vessel mounted in the chamber. of the supporting-casement and provided with an inlet and a pair of discharge-openings registering, respectively,

with the gas-inlet and tap-openings of the supsaid gas-inlet.

5. In combination, apairof superposed electrical furnaces, each of said furnaces consisting of a casement, a furnace-body arranged nace-body, intercepters arranged insuitable relation to the resistances, carbon blocks mounted in the easement and projecting into the furnace-body,and a cap mounted upon the furnace-body and provided with a feedopening, and a receptacle communicating with the lower of said furnaces and provided with discharge-openings.

forth comprising a casement, a furnace body arranged therein, resistances mounted within body, acap mounted upon the furnace and casement supporting said furnace and firstment provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of tap openings, and a receiving vesscl'mounted in the chamber of the supporting-casement and providedwith an inlet and a pair of dis withthe gas inlet and tap-openings of the supporting-casement.

7. An electrical furnace for the purpose set forth comprising a casement, a furnace-body arranged therein, resistances mounted within the furnace-body, carbon blocks mounted in the casement and projecting into the furnace body, a cap mounted upon the furnace and provided witha feedropening, a chambered casement supporting said furnace-body and first -uientioned casement, said supporting-. casement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair .of' tap-openings, a receiving vessel mounted in the chamber of the supporting-casement and provided with an inlet and apair of discharge openings registering, respectively,

porting-easement, and resistances mounted in said gas-inlet.

.8. An electrical furnace for the purpose set forth comprising a casement, a furnace-body arranged therein, resistances mounted within the furnace-body, a chambered casement supporting said furnace-body and the first-mentioned casement, said supporting casement provided with a gas-inlet and a pair of tapopenings, and a receiving vessel mountedin the chamber of the supporting-cascment and provided with an inlet and a pairof dischargeopenings registering, respectively, with the gas-inlet and tap-openings of the supportingcasement.

forth comprising a casement, a furnace-body arranged therein, resistances mounted within porting-casement, and resistances mounted in therein, resistances mounted within the for 6. An electrical furnace for the purposeset the furnace-body, carbon blocks mounted in v the easement and projecting into thefurnace provided with a feed-opening, a chambered" mentioned casement, said supporting-casechargleopenings registering, respectively.

with the gas-inlet and tap-openings of the sup- 9. An electrical furnace for the purpose sot with .gggs-inlet and a pair of teip-opgnings, a receivingvessel mounted in thp chamber of the supporting-cas ement and provided witha n vinlet and a pair of discharge-openings 'rQgis-V tenng, respectively with the gas-inlet and; tap-openingsof the supporting-casement, and resistances mounted in said gas-inlet;

. DAVID RANKEN SHIRREFF GALBRAITH. Witnesses: v 5

' GEORGE WILLIAM BASLEY, PERCY HERBERT BASLEY. 

